For the last several releases, I have been crafting .iso images for OpenBSD test and familiarization. Images with a variety of graphical window management environments are available for the i386 and amd64 platforms.

It looks like a change to my script should be doable, but the impact may have to be limited to NICs that show "status:" lines in ifconfig. Some, like ne(4), do not report status. If you have suggestions for those NICs, I'll take 'em.

(If you'd like to play with the script, it's in /etc/rc.local -- note that /etc is one of the MFS mounted directories, populated from /backups/etc.tar.gz.)

I want to test an application. Why isn't it already installed on the CD?

There are 4559 3rd party applications ported to OpenBSD for 4.3-release. If I'd installed Application X, someone would ask about Application Y. These ISOs were not designed to be application testbeds, nor were they designed to be production systems. They were designed to let you play with the OS, and, if you are interested in OpenBSD as a desktop, to try out some popular X desktop management environments.

For 4.4, due to popular demand, I have replaced Dillo with Firefox for the Basic, Fluxbox, and XFCE images. To do this, alone, stretches the limits of a 700 MB CD for XFCE.

If you want a "portable" copy of the OS you can carry around with you, just install what you want on a USB stick. These are bootable on modern BIOSes. They behave just like a SCSI disk, as far as the OS is concerned.

Running the install script is one heck of a lot easier than adding your desired list of packages to a LiveCD. But if you really want "fluxbox plus your most favorite packages" on a LiveCD you are welcome to install them yourself. So-called "simple" Instructions are in the FAQ. Note that you will need someplace to store your apps, such as a hard drive or USB stick -- so you may as well install the OS anyway. It's easier.

A more complex rebuilding of the ISOs is possible -- start by installing the OS anyway, then mounting the ISO you want to change, replicating it into FFS disk, archiving the six to-be-mounted hierarchies, unpacking the six MFS tarballs, using chroot(8)to run the system as a virtual userland environment, adding your packages, recovering / removing files you added or changed to support chroot, rebuilding tarballs, restoring your temporary archive, remaking your bootable ISO. Note that step 1, above, is to install the OS. I'd stop there, if it were me.

From my perspective, placing a bootable BSD on CD/DVD media is nowhere near as easy as a simple OS install. At minimum, it requires a custom kernel configuration, which in and of itself isn't difficult, but it also requires modifications to /etc/rc which change every release, and a slew of ramdisk mounts and restores that make management cumbersome. Also, the ISOs are unsupported by the OpenBSD Project. It is their software, but in a custom configuration. If you have problems, there is only one support person. Me. And my best-effort support may not be sufficient. If you place the OS on a USB stick, it is a standard installation and is supported.

The ISOs are for OS familiarization by prospective users, and for hardware platform testing by existing OpenBSD users.

For the new user, I offer several X window managers so that people who are using Linux, Unix, or other BSDs as workstations may choose an environment with the same look and feel they are familiar with. From an advocacy perspective, it shows new (or soon-to-be-new) users that OpenBSD can be run as a desktop workstation; the OS has a reputation that using it as a workstation is difficult.

For an OpenBSD user, the ability to test the OS on prospective hardware is another valid reason to have X available. The variety of GUIs in that case are "nice to have" but are not required -- you can check video functionality with fvwm as easily as gnome. And much more quickly.

this link will summarize all what I have to say.
its author is a former NetBSD user and an advanced one if I can say that.
plus many more, I know one of the OpenBSD Guru's, he uses now Mac OSX.
and many more even one of the NetBSD Stars "Hubert Feyrer"
he uses OpenSUSE AND OSX! as his main Desktop.

I don't understand your complaint, qmemo. Is it that you don't have the skill to install the OS and fluxbox?

The author of the web page you link states his main concern with the BSDs (NetBSD, in this case) is hardware drivers. That has nothing to do with applications, qmemo.

My basic LiveCD, with no packages in it at all, may be used to test all of the chipsets in a proposed hardware platform, and without requiring an OS installation. You can also test X with the associated video card and attached monitor on your proposed hardware. 'nuff said.

Regarding hardware drivers on OpenBSD: Many hardware manufacturers keep their interfaces closed. Unlike other projects, the OpenBSD Project will never sign a non-disclosure agreement or install a vendor-supplied binary object block. Ever.

For a discussion of the impact of this position on OpenBSD's driver development, see Puffy Baba and the 40 Vendors. For a discussion of the value of OpenBSD's stated postion on binary objects see Blob!

Last edited by jggimi; 28th September 2008 at 04:13 PM.
Reason: corrected links

Having the added but admittedly limited perspective of reading qmemo's posts on BSDnexus, it appears that qmemo is migrating to Linux & finds that many of the accouterments found there more agreeable to his needs. I also suspect that he recognizes Linux's dominance in the Open Source marketplace, & wants to maximize & leverage both his investment of time & effort. Citing Wintellect's blog (which also points out a slow migration away from NetBSD...) projects qmemo's questioning whether the *BSD's meets the needs of the rank-&-file industry proponent.

If I have accurately summarized your position qmemo, great. If not, my apologies.

I interject because this thread is showing a basic disconnect over what jggimi's intention with offering vanilla installations of OpenBSD in live CD form. The Linux community has morphed the concept of such a tool into a rescue, repair, stealth, full-blown Swiss Army knife tool, & jggimi's intention is to provide a simple solution which allows users to do some quick testing of a nominally configured environment. jggimi's goal is not to provide and/or compete with do-all, be-all tools found on other platforms. I applaud jggimi for investing his on-going commitment to providing such a tool. I have found it useful on occasion to fix various errors I have encountered.

If I have accurately summarized your intentions jggimi, great. If not, my apologies.

The OpenBSD project is extremely small in comparison to other projects, & neither does it intend nor desire to dominate the marketplace. As such, it may have rough edges which will not appeal to everyone. If it meets your needs, great. If not, there are other alternatives available.

ocicat, for a moment I sat there reading your reply one time after another, you have a great amount of terms/vocabulary/expressions.

now it's my turn to say & I will borrow your expression If was correct in understanding your reply then great. if not, my apologies.

The Posts "Which they do not exist no more, I deleted them because of scottro" on BSDNexus.com....I know this guys since my early come to bsdforums.org
I Have profiled there characters/attitudes/there tech concerns & interests why is that because I wanted to establish a live communication base for my BSD Interest at that time and by time things get social.

When I found them changing there OS's I watched the affect it made to there Life's Wintellect said he became more productive & others .

so, I tried my best with the whom I know to change that because I believe that continuing to use any BSD as a Desktop will Slowly bush it to the edges of the Desktop Race.

at least from my point of view, which is in accordance to my self interest.

ok, at this point when I came to the conclusion I should stop being a dreamer and come back to earth I started using this word with any one asking me about the BSD's & Linux (What Fits, is what's best) & since I got to that point there is an old saying summarizes it

(Every man for himself & facts Facts speak louder than words)

and by the way as a reply to suspection of me recognizing Linux dominance in the Open Source marketplace.

any success Linux make is a partial one! because of one simple fact its not organized!

Let them make what they want, do there best & all what will see Distro's coming over Distro's that's all

jggimi, Thank you for understanding firstly and secondly to make it right.
Here is the Link for any one wanted to install OpenBSD on a USB Stick